Man Paralyzed After Being Injured In Tornado

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Dale Nix, who was thrown from his travel trailer by a tornado last week, remains paralyzed from the waist down.<br/><br/>He is in serious condition at OU Medical Center with broken ribs,

Tuesday, April 3rd 2007, 3:01 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Dale Nix, who was thrown from his travel trailer by a tornado last week, remains paralyzed from the waist down.

He is in serious condition at OU Medical Center with broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and back injuries. Friends are praying the paralysis won't be permanent.

His wife, Bridget Nix, who was also injured in the tornado was released from the hospital Sunday.

They were taking a nap in their fifth-wheel camper in northwest Oklahoma City Thursday when the twister hit.

Nix, 44, of Memphis, Tenn., said from his hospital bed Monday that a loud noise roused him just in time to see the left side of the camper bending in, nearly touching the other side.

"I grabbed my wife and said, 'Come on, baby. We've gotta get out of here,"' Nix said. The next thing Nix remembered was feeling raindrops on his face and seeing farm equipment nearby. He'd been thrown from the trailer.

Bridget Nix, 40, made it to the road and flagged down cars until someone stopped to help them.

The couple came to Oklahoma City last week to help Mike and Barbara Bounds with home remodeling work.

Bounds said he was astonished by the destruction the tornado dealt to Nix's camper, while leaving unscathed two trucks parked within 10 feet.

"It was just amazing," he said. "That tornado just hit out of nowhere."

The camper was strewn across the fields and pieces were left dangling in nearby trees.

The couple lost numerous possessions.

A friend, Mike Enck, visited Nix in the hospital Monday and brought a new guitar to replace one Nix lost in the twister.

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3/29/2007 Five People Injured In Oklahoma Tornado

3/30/2007 Storm System Knocks Out Power, Snarls Traffic In Oklahoma